How NOT to Overspend For a Wedding
Rings, dresses, flowers, favors, and wedding caterer – just to name a few. There are SO MANY things that to-be-weds need to think about, breaking a wedding budget is just a wink away. How not to overspend is one of the most common questions of brides- and grooms-to-be more so if they are already working on a limited budget.
According to TopCashBack, in the UK, approximately 20% of newlyweds had blown their wedding budget. Most of these couples overspent from £2,000 to £5,000 (or roughly Php140,000 to Php350,000). Some of the couples make amend by selling their wedding gowns and suits after the wedding instead of keeping them; about 7% have done this.
Don’t let this happen to you. Wedding Ideas Mag provide A-Z answers on how.
‘A’ means ACCOUNT
Have a separate nuptials account. Make sure that a percentage of your monthly income goes to the wedding spends. Let’s say you are both saving up for your big day for a year now. You can decide to spend everything on the wedding alone or for the wedding and honeymoon.
‘B’ means BARTER
Brides-to-be must hone their haggling skills, knowing that the initial prices are just start off points. This means everything can be negotiated if not by you, at least, by your wedding planner who have already established gainful connections among wedding suppliers.
‘C’ means CONTINGENCY
Yes, we are talking about budget-related contingencies. These are your emergency funds that are separate from your wedding account. If in case you’ve exhausted the account, you may use this extra cash for the honeymoon spends.
‘D’ means DIY
Doing it yourself is 100% acceptable. You can draw inspirations from Pinterest and other craft sites. Whatever you DIY, that’s money that you save up for the future.
‘E’ means EARLY BIRD
A wedding takes about 6 to 18 months to plan. If you are sure of the church and venue, book it now to avail the discounts.
‘F’ means FINANCE MEETING
It might sound awkward for some, but finance meetings are a great way to determine what you can spend for the wedding and what can your parents contribute.
‘G’ means GUESTS
Trim your guest list. Ask yourself, “Are plus ones a must? Do you want an adults-only wedding?”
‘H’ means HIRE
Purchasing 100% of the time is not advisable. If you cannot afford something, then hire. But, only borrow from a reputable source.
‘I’ means INVITATION
After pruning your guest list, you can now have your invitations printed. You can also DIY, but if you want it embossed, print only the number of invitations you need.
‘J’ means JEWELRY
Again, do you really need to buy new ones? What about heirlooms or ‘something borrowed’? Nevertheless, if ever you decide to buy a jewelry set for your big day, make sure that you’ve bought the gown first. Surely, you want them to match, not clash.
‘K’ means KNOW-HOW
Okay, not you, but a bridesmaid who knows how to bake cookies that you can use as favors. Or, one of the groomsmen who is an expert on cocktails. Any help will surely be budget-friendly.
‘L’ means LAST-MINUTE DETAILS
Surely, there is always some small details that brides- and grooms-to-be often forget. Unfortunately, these details can escalate the overall cost of the wedding. Think about them early on and include them in the budget.
‘M’ means MULTI-TASK
Multi-tasking takes different forms. For instance, you can schedule a meeting with your suppliers on different times in a single place. In this way, you can save up on gas. Other ways to multitask are the wedding cake as the dessert and the ceremony flowers as the reception flowers.
‘N’ means NUPTIAL
Nowadays, the trend is making the wedding ‘so you.’ Why don’t you think of a theme that will truly reflect your personalities?
‘O’ means OFF-PEAK
If you haven’t chosen a date and your budget is tight, choose an off-peak date instead. Settle down during a quiet month. Alternatively, you may choose a less popular day and time of day. Not to mention, hire fees are usually lower on an off season.
‘P’ means PRIORITIZE
Splurge on the non-negotiable(s) and be frugal on other less important elements, at least for both of you. With that, determine first what you cannot live without come your special day.
‘Q’ means QUALITY
Importantly, quality always count and not necessarily quantity. Scrimp on specific things, but not the food and drink that’s why you need to invite those that you can afford to feed. The secret is to never compromise on the caterer, photographer, stylist, etc.
‘R’ means RSVP
Stationery will eat a sizable percentage of your budget. They don’t need to be flashy though. Surely, they will respond to your invitation using the RSVP cards regardless of what kind of paper you printed it on. The bottom line is, they will respond.
‘S’ means SEASONAL
In-season and locally grown ingredients and flowers are mostly inexpensive. However, they can still ensure better quality than commercially available ones.
‘T’ means THEME
Choosing a wedding theme must be done at the early stages of planning. In this way, the chosen theme will guide the rest of the decision. The choice of theme is essential in making the wedding look like grand with no signs of scrimping. For instance, an eco-friendly wedding theme.
‘U’ means unnecessary ESSENTIALS
Brides want to make their weddings unique. Sometimes though, they tend to go overboard without even considering whether the guest will appreciate the added elements or not. So, ask yourself, “Do we really need it?”
‘V’ means VAT
VAT and its inclusion or exclusion is the silent sting that are ever-present on wedding quotes. Ask the supplier if the quote is VAT inclusive or not. A 10% VAT makes a huge difference to your total spend. Read the fine print.
‘W’ means WINE
Certainly, you need to provide your guests with choices of beverages. It doesn’t mean having a full bar though; this is not obligatory. If the groom-to-be insists on stocking booze, you may choose to buy in bulk and obtain hefty discounts.
‘X’ means X-TRA
Don’t assume that everything that has been marketed is included in the actual package. Again, read the fine print especially about the details of the inclusions. Also, make sure that you are aware of the ‘extras’ that the supplier provides. You might end up not using them anyway.
‘Y’ means YES
Say yes for any help. This doesn’t make you less of a bride.
‘Z’ means (OVER)ZEALOUS PLANNING
Don’t forget that what you are planning is your wedding. Few extravagances is acceptable. However, bear in mind that your guest will appreciate it more if they will see the both of you overflowing with love for one another.
Image credit: MBC.net | MyDay.ynet.co.il | BenfieldPhotography.blogspot.com | Life.panorama.am | Zexy.net
